Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Tbilisi
Organizer
Ministery of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia
Type of Competition
Invitation competition
Competition
2011
The source of inspiration for the design of the new building of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia in the “Deda Ena” Park in Tbilisi, adjacent to the River Mtkvari, is its location. Situated in the middle of the city and right next to the Ministry of Justice, the building follows the flow of the River Mtkvari in a wave-like motion. Connecting river and park, its waveform also evokes the winding paths in Deda Ena Park. The modern landmark is visible from various directions in the city.
The architectural composition is based on an S-shaped structure with two oppositely oriented bowl shapes. While the entrance atrium with reception is oriented towards the park, a large conference room surrounded by a lobby and break area occupies the space in the larger atrium oriented towards the river. A curved ramp leads from the entrance lobby to a central circulation hall with galleries to linger in and meeting rooms above the conference area. Spiral-shaped ramps in the two atria connect the office floors above to each other. The atria make up the "heart" of the building, surrounded by flexible office areas and provided with natural lighting through glass skylights with integrated photovoltaic modules. Corridors corresponding to the outline of a figure of eight in the layout, open up the office floors and offer views across all the levels of the hall.
The new ministerial building provides a floor space of 4,200 square meters on seven floors. A primary objective of the design was to integrate a formal and visionary architecture in an attractive urban park setting in a functional and sustainable manner. Utilisation of modern technologies and building materials as well as high energy efficiency, played an important role in the development of the design.